Sylvan Esso

When: Thu., July 12, 7:30 p.m. 2018Price: $42.50

What happens when two indie-folk rockers collaborate to create an indie-electro-pop duo? The answer is Sylvan Esso, composed of Mountain Man’s Amelia Meath and Megafaun’s Nick Sanborn. Their first single in this project was the quirky “Hey Mami,” an instant hit but nothing that broke new ground in the realm of electronic pop music. The group’s sophomore album, 2017’s What Now, shows some immediate and impressive maturity. You can still see their folk roots on display in their songwriting choices, never mind that Meath’s voice is backed by a laptop and not an acoustic guitar. But the duo seems to rely much less on writing cute songs, having dove headfirst into their music with sharper humor, biting satire, and more vulnerable emotional expressions.